ONCA Paris Conference 2026 Report

Executive Summary

ONCA 2026 brought together healthcare professionals, researchers, patient organisations, policymakers and industry representatives from across Europe to discuss one common goal: how we can make nutritional care a routine part of healthcare.

Over two days in Paris, speakers shared the latest scientific evidence, practical examples from different countries, and ideas for improving the prevention and treatment of disease-related malnutrition. A recurring message throughout the conference was simple: nutrition should no longer be seen as an “extra” but as an essential part of patient care.

One of the conference highlights was the discussion around the new ICD-11 classification for adult undernutrition, which is expected to improve the recognition, diagnosis and monitoring of malnutrition worldwide. Several sessions also focused on how stronger policies, better education and closer collaboration can help bring nutritional care into everyday clinical practice.

Another major theme was the importance of patient involvement. ONCA 2026 officially launched the Patient & Nutrition Impact Group, reinforcing the idea that patients should not only be consulted but actively involved in shaping healthcare services, research and nutrition policies.

The conference also showcased inspiring examples from France, Germany and other European countries, demonstrating that meaningful change is possible when healthcare professionals, scientific societies, patient organisations and policymakers work together.

While significant progress has been made, speakers agreed that there is still much work to do. The next challenge is turning scientific evidence into everyday practice so that every patient who needs nutritional care can receive it, regardless of where they live.

Conference at a Glance

📍 Venue: French Academy of Medicine, Paris, France

📅 Dates: 1–2 June 2026

🎯 Theme: From Awareness to Access: Delivering Optimal Nutritional Care to Every Patient

ONCA 2026 welcomed participants from across Europe, bringing together experts from healthcare, research, patient organisations, public health, academia and industry.

During the conference, participants explored topics including:

• Improving the prevention and management of disease-related malnutrition.
• The implementation of ICD-11 for adult undernutrition.
• Nutrition as a priority in European and national health policies.
• Patient engagement in healthcare and policy-making.
• The role of multidisciplinary teams in nutritional care.
• Good practice examples from across Europe.
• Education, awareness and professional training.
• The economic benefits of investing in nutritional care.

The programme included keynote presentations, policy discussions, scientific sessions, case studies, and interactive workshops, giving participants the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from successful initiatives across Europe.

Throughout the conference, one message remained clear: better nutritional care requires collaboration. By working together across disciplines, organisations and countries, Europe can improve patient outcomes and ensure that nutrition becomes an integral part of healthcare rather than an afterthought.

Day 1

The first day of ONCA 2026 focused on one central question: How can we ensure that nutritional care becomes a routine part of healthcare across Europe?

Throughout the day, experts from healthcare, research, patient organisations, public authorities and European institutions shared their experiences and explored practical ways to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease-related malnutrition. Discussions highlighted the importance of working together across disciplines and countries, while keeping patients at the centre of every decision.

The programme opened with a dedicated pre-conference session on patient engagement, followed by scientific and policy sessions exploring the role of nutrition in healthcare systems, the implementation of the new WHO ICD-11 classification for adult undernutrition, and successful national initiatives already making a difference across Europe.

Pre-conference Session

Building Stronger Patient Partnerships in Nutrition Care

The conference began with a dedicated session exploring how patients can play a more active role in improving nutritional care across Europe.

Speakers agreed that patient involvement should go far beyond consultation. Patients bring valuable lived experience that can improve healthcare services, strengthen research and help shape better health policies. Throughout the morning, participants learned about the many opportunities for patient organisations to contribute to European initiatives, including public consultations, research projects, advisory boards and policy development.

Several speakers also discussed the challenges that patient organisations continue to face, including limited resources, lack of training and the significant time commitment required for meaningful participation. Building stronger national and European patient networks was identified as a priority, alongside providing better support and opportunities for collaboration.

The session concluded with the official launch of the Patient & Nutrition Impact Group, a new initiative that will strengthen cooperation between patient organisations and ensure that the patient voice remains central to future ONCA activities.

Key messages

• Patients should be equal partners in healthcare, research and policy-making.
• Stronger patient networks will improve collaboration across Europe.
• Investing in patient organisations is essential for sustainable advocacy.
• Long-term partnerships are more effective than one-off consultations.

Opening Session

Setting the Scene: Nutrition as a Public Health Priority

The official opening of ONCA 2026 welcomed participants to the French Academy of Medicine and highlighted the conference’s shared ambition to strengthen nutritional care across Europe.

Speakers emphasised that disease-related malnutrition continues to affect millions of people every year despite being preventable and treatable. They called for nutrition to become a recognised priority within healthcare systems, supported by stronger policies, better education and greater collaboration between healthcare professionals, researchers, patient organisations and policymakers.

France also shared its ongoing commitment to improving nutritional health through initiatives such as the National Nutrition and Health Programme (PNNS), the Nutri-Score front-of-pack labelling system and French Malnutrition Awareness Week. These examples demonstrated how national leadership and collaboration can successfully translate scientific evidence into public health action.

Key messages

• Nutrition should become a core component of healthcare.
• National policies play an essential role in improving nutritional care.
• Collaboration between all stakeholders is key to lasting change.
• Public awareness remains fundamental for preventing malnutrition.

Session 1

Integrating Nutritional Care into Europe’s Health Systems

The first scientific session explored why nutrition should be considered an essential part of healthcare rather than an optional addition to treatment.

Speakers highlighted the growing evidence that early nutritional screening and intervention improve patient outcomes, reduce complications, shorten hospital stays and lower healthcare costs. Despite this evidence, disease-related malnutrition remains under-recognised and under-treated across many European healthcare systems.

Discussions also looked beyond hospitals, emphasising the importance of healthy nutrition in preventing chronic diseases and supporting healthy ageing. Participants heard how European institutions, scientific societies and patient organisations all have an important role in promoting healthier lifestyles and ensuring equal access to nutritional care.

The session reinforced that improving nutritional care is not only a medical challenge but also a policy challenge, requiring coordinated action across healthcare, public health and government.

Key messages

• Nutrition should be recognised as an essential part of healthcare.
• Early nutritional care improves patient outcomes and reduces costs.
• Healthy diets play a key role in preventing chronic diseases.
• Collaboration between policymakers, healthcare professionals and patients is essential.

Session 2

WHO ICD-11: A Major Step Forward for Clinical Nutrition

One of the highlights of the conference was the discussion on the implementation of the new WHO ICD-11 classification for adult undernutrition.

Speakers explained how the new classification provides an internationally recognised framework for diagnosing and documenting malnutrition, helping healthcare professionals identify patients more consistently and improving the quality of clinical data.

The session explored both the scientific development of ICD-11 and its practical implications for healthcare systems. Better coding will not only improve patient care but also strengthen research, support reimbursement systems and provide policymakers with more reliable information on the burden of malnutrition.

Participants agreed that while ICD-11 represents an important milestone, successful implementation will require education, multidisciplinary collaboration and commitment from healthcare systems across Europe.

Key messages

• ICD-11 provides a common language for diagnosing adult undernutrition.
• Better coding will improve recognition, treatment and monitoring of malnutrition.
• Reliable data will strengthen research and future nutrition policies.
• The next challenge is implementing ICD-11 consistently across Europe.

Session 3

Learning from Successful National Initiatives

The final scientific session of the day showcased practical examples of how countries are strengthening nutritional care through policy, education and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Speakers presented successful initiatives from France, Germany and several European networks, demonstrating that meaningful improvements are possible when scientific evidence is translated into practical action. Examples included national awareness campaigns, hospital nutrition committees, specialised nutrition services and international collaborations aimed at improving care for people living with chronic intestinal failure.

Although healthcare systems differ across Europe, participants agreed that successful initiatives share several common characteristics: strong leadership, patient involvement, multidisciplinary teamwork and sustained political commitment.

The session concluded with an optimistic message that countries do not need to work in isolation. By sharing experiences and learning from one another, Europe can accelerate progress towards better nutritional care for all.

Key messages

• National good practices demonstrate that change is achievable.
• Long-term advocacy and political commitment are essential.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration improves patient care.
• Sharing successful initiatives helps accelerate progress across Europe.

Day 2

While the first day of ONCA 2026 focused on raising awareness of disease-related malnutrition and presenting the latest scientific evidence, the second day looked at how to turn this knowledge into real improvements in healthcare.

The discussions centred on practical implementation, bringing together healthcare professionals, scientific societies, patient organisations and policymakers to explore how nutrition can become an integral part of healthcare systems across Europe.

A recurring message throughout the day was that improving nutritional care requires more than scientific evidence. It requires coordinated action, strong leadership and collaboration across all sectors.

Opening Session

Moving from Evidence to Action

Opening the second day, Prof. Eric Fontaine reflected on the discussions from Day 1 and reminded participants that changing healthcare systems is a gradual process. Scientific evidence provides the foundation, but meaningful improvements only happen when researchers, clinicians, patient organisations and policymakers work together towards common goals.

He encouraged participants to move beyond identifying the challenges surrounding disease-related malnutrition and instead focus on practical, achievable solutions. Advocacy should not simply raise awareness of the problem, but also provide clear recommendations that decision-makers can implement within healthcare systems.

This opening session set the tone for the rest of the day by highlighting that the next step for Europe is implementation.

Key Messages

• Scientific evidence must be translated into practical action.
• Policy change requires persistence, collaboration and strong leadership.
• Nutrition should remain a priority within national and European health policies.
• The focus must now shift from awareness to implementation.

Rapid Interview Panel Session

One of the highlights of the second day was the rapid interview panel, bringing together representatives from several French scientific societies to discuss how nutritional care can be strengthened at national level.

Rather than presenting individual projects, the panel provided a broad overview of the organisational structures, professional initiatives and collaborative approaches that are helping improve nutritional care in France.

Discussions highlighted the important role of hospital nutrition committees (CLANs) and specialised nutrition support teams (UTNs) in coordinating nutritional care, promoting early screening and supporting healthcare professionals in managing patients at nutritional risk. Speakers also emphasised the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration, professional education and stronger institutional recognition of nutrition within hospitals.

The panel also explored the challenges that remain, including workforce shortages, differences in implementation between hospitals and the need for stronger political support. Despite these barriers, participants agreed that the French experience demonstrates how sustained collaboration between scientific societies, healthcare professionals and public authorities can lead to meaningful improvements in nutritional care.

Beyond France, the discussion highlighted that every country can learn from successful national initiatives while adapting them to their own healthcare systems.

Key Messages

• Organised nutrition services improve patient care and healthcare quality.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential for effective nutritional care.
• Professional education and institutional support remain priorities.
• Sharing national good practices helps accelerate progress across Europe.

Interactive Workshops

Building the Next Steps Together

The conference concluded with a series of interactive workshops, giving participants the opportunity to reflect on the discussions from both days and identify practical priorities for the future.

Working in multidisciplinary groups, participants exchanged ideas on how to strengthen nutrition policies, improve awareness of disease-related malnutrition and increase access to nutritional care across Europe. The workshops encouraged open discussion between healthcare professionals, researchers, patient representatives and policymakers, reinforcing the collaborative spirit that characterised the entire conference.

Several recurring priorities emerged from the discussions, including improving nutritional screening, strengthening education and training, increasing patient involvement, sharing good practices between countries and continuing to advocate for nutrition as a healthcare priority.

Perhaps most importantly, the workshops reinforced that the ONCA community extends well beyond the annual conference. Participants expressed a strong commitment to maintaining collaboration throughout the year by sharing experiences, supporting advocacy initiatives and developing new partnerships that will help translate knowledge into action.

Key Messages

• Collaboration is essential for improving nutritional care.
• Patients should remain active partners in future initiatives.
• Sharing experiences helps countries learn from one another.
• Continued cooperation will be key to achieving lasting change across Europe.

Conclusions

ONCA 2026 brought together a diverse community of healthcare professionals, researchers, patient organisations, policymakers and industry representatives with one shared ambition: to make nutritional care an integral part of healthcare across Europe.

Over two days, the conference highlighted the growing evidence that nutrition improves patient outcomes, enhances quality of life and reduces healthcare costs. At the same time, speakers demonstrated that the challenge is no longer a lack of evidence, but ensuring that this knowledge is consistently translated into clinical practice and public policy.

A major milestone discussed throughout the conference was the implementation of the WHO ICD-11 classification for adult undernutrition, which offers an important opportunity to improve the recognition, documentation and management of disease-related malnutrition worldwide.

The conference also reinforced the importance of involving patients as equal partners in healthcare, research and policy development. The launch of the Patient & Nutrition Impact Group reflected ONCA’s commitment to ensuring that patient perspectives remain central to future initiatives.

Throughout both days, participants repeatedly returned to one common conclusion: lasting progress depends on collaboration. Healthcare professionals, scientific societies, patient organisations, policymakers and industry each have an important role to play in ensuring that nutritional care becomes a routine part of healthcare rather than an exception.

As ONCA 2026 came to a close, participants left Paris with a shared commitment to continue working together, exchanging good practices and turning scientific evidence into practical action that benefits patients across Europe.

Key Recommendations

Based on the discussions held throughout the conference, participants identified the following priorities for advancing nutritional care across Europe:

• Recognise nutrition as an essential component of healthcare and integrate nutritional care into national health policies and clinical pathways.
• Implement routine nutritional screening and early intervention across all healthcare settings to improve patient outcomes.
• Support the implementation of ICD-11 through education, training and consistent documentation of disease-related malnutrition.
• Strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration between healthcare professionals involved in nutritional care.
• Empower patients as equal partners in healthcare, research, advocacy and policy development.
• Invest in education and awareness to improve nutrition knowledge among healthcare professionals, patients and the wider public.
• Learn from successful national initiatives and encourage the exchange of good practices across Europe.
• Improve data collection and monitoring to strengthen research, healthcare planning and policy development.
• Continue building strong partnerships between scientific societies, patient organisations, policymakers and other stakeholders.
• Focus on implementation, ensuring that the evidence and recommendations discussed at ONCA 2026 are translated into meaningful improvements in everyday clinical practice.